Filipinos are breathing a sigh of relief after Typhoon Hagupit, known locally as Ruby, passed over their islands without causing major damage.“We thank the Lord, through the intercession of Mother Mary, whose feast of the Immaculate Conception we are celebrating today, for sparing us,” said Jing Henderson, of Caritas Philippines-NASSA to Caritas Internationalis. Read more here.Before Hagupit struck, there were fears of a disaster akin to Haiyan in November 2013. However, assistance is still needed in the Philippines, so Caritas Finland's collection continues.

In November 2013 Typhoon Haiyan (locally called Yolanda) hit the Philippines. A year has now passed since the disaster, and Caritas Finland no longer terms its collection to assist the victims a Disaster Relief Appeal, but you can still help the victims of Haiyan through Caritas Finland.

It’s easy to miss one of the more remarkable emergency efforts taking place on the island of Leyte in the Philippines, an area leveled by Typhoon Haiyan. Here, in coastal and hillside towns where 6,201 people perished in November’s storm and nearly 2,000 are still missing, you see in all directions piles of wood, debris and garbage that line roads and cover the lawns of homes and schools.

The harrowing remnants of devastation should be uninviting. And, yet, they have become a source of communion, a place where many Filipinos are finding resolve.

A worker heads to a debris site for clearing. Photo by Kent Truog for Caritas

Throughout Palo, teams of Filipinos take on the exhausting physical work to clear garbage, trees, and the heavy fallen debris through Cash for Work projects. No matter the backdrop of waste, this is one of the most valuable contributions to the relief effort.

To provide anything—clean water, materials to rebuild homes and schools, and other necessities—you need to be able to reach communities via clear access routes. In other words, you need to clean up the mess.

“We emphasize a level of care in the clearing process,” says Jose “Dax” Evaristo Tibus, a program coordinator with Catholic Relief Services Philippines who oversees cash-for-work programs in Palo. “It’s not simply debris removal. At any time you can be confronted with a human being under the debris,” he says. “So, you’re not just digging and digging. You’re taking things one by one, piece by piece. You’re also taking in all the smells. It’s part of the process—facing reality. We were devastated, but we have to go on.”

Thank you for helping!

Caritas Finland's disaster relief collection in aid of the victims of Super Typhoon Hayian in the Philippines had reached an impressive EUR 10,520.27 by the end of January. We wish to thank everybody who has participated in the collection!

The aid raised so far has been delivered through Caritas Internationalis, but the rebuilding process will go on for a long time, so the collection too goes on.

Cardinal Luis Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, says that the massive destruction caused by typhoon Haiyan has left him speechless. Cardinal Tagle also says he is consoled by the love and solidarity that is pouring in from all over the world in the wake of this disaster, Vatican Radio reports.

The super typhoon Haiyan, which is apparently the largest storm to ever hit land, has battered the Philippines. The scale of the disaster is huge, with over 9.5 million people in need of help and 600,000 forced from their homes.

Bishop Teemu Sippo SCJ appeals for help for the victims. He says that media give us information about the disaster that has hit the Philippines. The Bishop goes on: "The forceful typhoon has caused the loss of thousands of lives and untold numbers are injured. An enormous number of people have lost their homes and possessions. Their pain is indescribable."

Bishop Teemu has determined that this Sunday's collection in all the Catholic parishes in Finland will be in aid of the relief efforts in the Philippines. He appeals to people's desire to help and asks for everyone to pray for the victims of the typhoon.

Typhoon Haiyan – known locally as Yolanda – struck the central Philippines on Friday with winds of up to 235 kph, forcing millions of people to take refuge in emergency shelters.

It was one of the strongest storms ever to make landfall and cut a path of destruction through several central islands. Unconfirmed early estimates are of as many as 10,000 dead in one province alone.

The typhoon has hit some of the same areas that were devastated by a 7.3-magnitude earthquake last month.

Fr. Edwin Gariguez said, “It’s the strongest and biggest storm that has hit the country. It’s hit an area already devastated by an earthquake. We are in great need. It’s a really big calamity.”

He said that power lines, phone lines and mobile towers have all been hit, making communication with the worst hit areas very difficult.

Help now!

Up to 2.5 million people in the Philippines are in urgent need of our help. The islands of Leyte and Samar, worst hit by typhoon Haiyan, are among the poorest in the country. So many people have lost their homes, their loved ones, everything.

You can help through Caritas Finland's disaster relief fund:Danske Bank FI73 8000 1270 1545 04– please use the reference number 2383.Thank you!

One community in Daanbantayan, northern Cebu, which was not spared by the typhoon’s wrath. Photo: Caritas Philippines-NASSA.

Caritas Philippines teams are deploying staff with Caritas member Catholic Relief Services to some of the worst affected areas.

Greg Auberry, the regional director of CRS, said: “The pain of another disaster is devastating. We’re currently moving tarpaulins to Cebu City so that we can provide 8,000 families with inevitable shelter needs.”